Telephone toll-box.



PATENTED MAY 29, 1906.

TELEPHONE TOLL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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0. BEISBOIS. TELEPHONE TOLL BOX. APPLICATION 31mm MAY 1, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 No. 821,778. PATENTED MAY 29, 1906. 0. BRISBOIS.

TELEPHONE TOLL BOX. APPLICATION FILED MAY 1. 1905.

3 SHEETS- SHEET 8.

UNITE sra'rs rarer anion ODILON BRISBOIS, OF CHICAGO, 1LLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALFTO TION OF ILLINOIS.

TELEPHONE TOLL-Box.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. may 29, 1908.

Application filed May 1, 1906. Serial No. 258,377.

.To all whm z't may concern:

Be it known that I, OnILoN BRIsBors, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinoi s, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telephone Toll-Boxes and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. I

This invention relates to a novel construction in a telephone toll-box, the object being to provide a device of this character in which a record of each coin'or token deposited is kept and which can be applied or used in connection with various telephone systems.

The invention consists partially in the -.novel features of construction of the box proper, and more particularly in the electrical circuits controlling the same, all as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

taken on the line '1 1 of Fig. 2.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating this invention, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a toll-box con-' structed in accordance with my invention,

vertical transverse section of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views, partly in fragmentary vertical transverse sect1on,illus trating the various systems of electrical cir- .-cuits employed in telephone systems and controlling the mechanism of the box. Fig. 6 is a perspectiveview in elevation of the box.

,Fig. 7 is afragmentary detail sectional view,

but in either case the signaling is effected,

through the medium of the deposited coin .or token. p

Another object of my invention is to provide means actuated by the deposited coin or tokento'register its deposit in the cash-box and simultaneously signal the central ofiice,

so that its deposit, will be known to the op erator.

Fig. 2 is a Another object of my invention is to provide meansauxiliary to the deposited coin to close a circuit therethrough to further signal the operator in the event that no'attention is paid to the signal effected by the deposit of the coin. i

To the above and other ends my said device comprises a wall-plate 1, carrying all of the mechanism and wires controlling circuits, to which a casing 2 is adapted to be secured to cover saidmechanism, &c., said casing 2 being held in place 'by means of a lock'of suitable construction, controlled by a'key held by the operating company in the usual manner. Mounted on'said plate 1 are two verticallydisposed parallel plates 3 and 4, the former being provided in one face with a substantially W-shaped recess'5, terminating in the forward edge of same and at its upper and lower ends, respectively, while an arm or branch 6 of said recess extends rearwardly and downwardly from a point substantially midway between the ends of the second arm of said recess and communicates with an opening 7, through which the coin or token passes into the cash-box 8. The said plate 4 is adapted to be secured to the plate 3 on the recessed side thereof to cover said recess, and thus form a passage through which coins or tokens travel. p I

The coins to be deposited are of a given denomination, usually five-cent pieces ornickels, and to prevent smaller coins being employed a slot 9 is provided in. the inner wall of the recess adjacent the point of admission of the coin, through which smaller coins willfall upon a flanged plate 10pr0- vided therefor. posed in said recess or passage 5 above and to the left of the arm or branch 6 thereof, between which and the inner wall of the said recess the deposited coin is adapted to pass to fall upon and be supported by the free end of A projection 11 is inter anarm 12 of a horizontally-rocking armature ends,

Saidpassage is so arranged and the coin deposited so supported that a second coin inserted in the passagewill ride over'the first and be returned to the depositor. Such arrangement is not new, however, and forms no part of my invention. Thesaid electromagmeans of an overhanging flat spring 18, the

free end of which bears on said armature on each side of and at some distance from its pivotal axis, thus preventing vibratory swinging of said armature due to sudden release after having been turned in either di- 2 rection by the action of said electromagnets' Mounted on a horizontal shaft 19 above the cash-box is a'four-armed wheel or turnstile' 20, the arms of which are adapted to suecessivel'y pro'ect through the 'o'pening'in the plate 3 into t e arm 7 of the passage 6 in the path of the coin and is adapted to be turned y the latter during its assage into the said cash-box. On said sha t 19 is a rectangular wheel or cam 21, the outer faces of which are arallel with the "arms of the ,turnstile, and caring upon the lowermost face of said wheel or cam is the free end of a light flat spring 22, the other end of which is mounted upon an insulating-block 23 on the cash-box.

said turnsti Below said spring 22 is a similar parallel spring 24, upon which said spring 22 is adapted to be.delpressed at each quarter-turn of e,'said spring 22 serving to impart final turning movement to said shaft to complete each uarter-revolution thereof in an obvious andjwell-known manner, The said shaft 19 is geared to and actuates a meter 25, contained in a compartment 26, partitioned off and isolated from the balance of the box,- the dials of said meter being visible through 'a slot 27 in the casing} Said meter isof wellknown construction and is so arranged as to be non-reversible, so that it cannot be tampered with by a collector for the o crating com an T e cash-box is rovided with-a lunged door which is locked by a difierent key from that used to lock the casing 2 in place.

The mechanism hereinbefore described is very simple and efficient and Well adapted to be operated by the arrangement of electrical circuits which I will now proceed to describe and which form the most essential feature of Certain parts of the mechanism have not been hereinbefore described, for

the reason that they can be more intelligently.

understood 1n connection with the description of the electrical circuits partially con trolled thereh In Fig. 4 have shown the electric telein which the lamp 1 2 while thesubscribers are conversin phone-circuit known as the common-battery system to illustrate the. manner in which the toll-box is interposed and operated. thereby, and in Fig. 5 I have likewise shown the generator-call system with the box interposed inthe circuit. Primarily when the subscriber'desires to call he raises the rcceiver to ascertain whether the line is clear. He then deposits his, coin or .token, which lodges upon the free end of a spring 23 on the arm 12, which is insulated from the latter, and depresses said spring 28 u on a second spring 29 on said arm 12, which is normally insulated from the latter and said spring 28,

and causes the free end of said spring 29 to bear upon said arm 12, which is connected by electric conduit 30 with the ground. Said spring 28 is connected with one side 31 of the line by means of a conduit 32, in which one of said electromagnets 14 is interposed, and said sprin 29 is connected with the other side 33 of t e line by means of the conduit 34, he otherelectromagnet 14 is interposed. The lines 31 and 33 are normally closed at the switchboard, as at 35, and the line 33 is connected with one pole of a battery 36 by means of the conduit 37, in which a signal-light 38 and a signal-relay 39 are interposed, the other pole of said battery being oun'ded. Each of said lines 31 and 33 is ridged to one pole of a battery 40 (the other pole of which is grounded) by means of conduits 41 and 42, each having a push-button 43 and 44 interposed therein and both connecting with the conduit 45, having a signallamp 46 inter osed therein. When the coin is deposited, 0th lines 31 and 33 are obviously grounded through the springs 23 and 29 and the arm 12, and through the conduit 37 andbattery36 the circuit is completed through IOL the signal-light 38 and relay 39 to the ground,

The latter now thus signalin the operator.

the circuit beinserts the p ug 47 to open tween-the lines 31 and 33 and through the latter and the conduit 37. By now pushing the button 43 the circuit through one of the elcctromagne'ts 14 is closed and the armature 13 swung to one side to deflect the dcposited' coin or token in the cash-box. As soon asthe coin dropsfthe circuit through said electrolnagnet is obviously 46 extinguished; but as said coin strikes and turns the turnstile 20 the circuit from said battery 40 through said springs 22 and 24 is momentarily closed to flash said lamp, thus signaling the operator that the coin has been deposited. By pushing the button 44 the circu' t through the other electromagnet is closed until the coin is released.

and returned to the subscriber, the lamp 46 serving manner case to, show the operator that said coin is in place when the button is ushed. The coin may be left upon the arm without affecting the line-circuit or may e deopened and posited immediately uponefiecting connection. When the box is to be used in connecgage the supported coin or, if no coin is pres cut, to pass through an opening in the farther wall of the chute. The free end of the spring 48 is disposed in the-path of a push button 52, which is adapted to bend-said free ends of said springs inwardly and if a coin is in the path of the block 51 will force the spring 48 into contact with said spring 49. To signal the operator in this case, the receiver is first raised to ascertain that the line is clear and the coin then deposited. The

button 52 is then pressed inwardly and held while the generator 53 is operated, one pole of the latter being grounded and the other connected with said spring 48. The said spring 49 being connected with the line corresponding to 33in Fig. 4, the circuit through the sgnaldamp 38 and relay 39 is closed in an obvious manner, thus si naling the operator,-who then inserts the p ug 47 and eltects the desired connection, the operation and circuits being otherwise exactly the same as iln the connnon-battery system illustrated in My said toll-box may be employed in connection with any existing telephone system so far as I am inforn'ied and is very simple and elliciont and a source of great economy to operating companies in view of. the fact that enables a check on collectors to be read ly kept.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a signaling apparatus for telephone systems, the combination with two. main lines normally closed at one point, a shuntcircuit having a battery grounded at one end and signaling means interposed therein, normally connected with said main lines, an electromagnet disposed in each of said main lines, a grounded armature adapted to be actuated by either. of said electromagnets, circuit-closers carried by said armature" and connected with said main lines, said circuitclosers being adapted to be actuated by acoin to connect said lines with each other and with the ground to close the shunt-circuit, a second shunt-circuit having a battery disposed therein grounded at one end and bridged to both said lines through circuit-closing devices, and means for opening said main lines at said first-named point simultaneously with said shun t-circuit to enable either of said electromagnets to be energized through said second shuntcircuit to actuate said armature and throw said coin to reopen said main lines. 2. Ina signaling apparatus for telephone systems, the combination with two main lines normally closed at one i oint, a shunt-circuit having a battery groun 5d at one end and signaling means interposed therein, normally connected with said main lines, an electro magnet disposed in each of said main lines, agrounded armature adapted to be actuated by either of said electromagnets, circuit-closers carried by said armature and connected with said main lines, said circuit-closers being ada ted to be actuated by a coin to connect sai lineswith each other and with the ground to close said shunt-circuit, asecond shunt-circuit having a battery disposed therein gr0und' ed at one end and bridged to both of said lines through circuit-closing devices, a shunt-circuit from one of said main lines to the ground, a coin-actuated circuit-closer disposed therein, signaling means disposed in a part of the aforesaid circuits in operativerelation to said last-named shunt-circuit and adapted to be actuated by closin the circuitthrough the latter and one side 0 the second-named shuntcircuit, and 7 means for opening said main lines at said first-named point simultaneously with said shunt-circuit to enable either of said electromagnets to be energized through said second shunt-circuit to actuate said armature and throw said coin to reopen said main lines.

3. In a telephone toll-box having a coinchute, the combination with an electrically-actuated device for'supporting and deflecting a coin, of a signal-circuit closer carried thereby and adapted to be closed by said coin, and a shunt-circuitpartially controlled by said circuit-closer for actuating said support to deflect and release said coin.

4. In a telephone toll-box having a coinchute, the combination with an electricallyactuated device for supporting and deflecting and controlling said first-named circuit and said shunt-circuit and adapted to be actuated by the supported coin, and means including a shunt circuit for throwing an impulse through one side of said first-named/circuit to actuate said supporting and deflecting device to release said coin.

5. In a telephonetoll-box, the combination with devices disposed in the path of the coin for supporting and denlectirn same, a circuitcloser carried thereby and a dapted to'be actuated by the coin, electrically-controlled devices actuating said supporting and deflecting devices, a main circuit; controlling same, a signal-circuit connected with said main circuit, both saidcircuits being" gaiftially controll ed by said circuit-closer, a second shunt' c rcuit connected with said main circuit and having signaling means disposed therein, hand-operated circuit-closing means disposed in said shunt-circuit and adapted tojbe actuated to close a circuit through the devices con trolling said supporting and deflecting devices to release the coin, a third shunt-circuit connected with said main circuit and receiving [0 its impulse from said second shunt-circuit, a

circuit-closer disposed in said third shuntcircuit, and devices for closing same disposed in the path of the released coin to signal its passage.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 15 name in'presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

' ODILON BRISBOIS. Witnesses;

RUDOLPH WM. Lorz, P. J. HERTZ. 

